Christian quoter

Latest from Nigeria

2012-01-23T16:05:00.001Z

This is from a senior pastor.

Our friends,

We covet your prayers even more. At 3.00am this morning, I was woken up by a call from one of our members. Apart from the Kano bombings, BH invaded part of bauchi and Tafawabalew towns of bauchi state, just a little northeast of us. They approached the towns from 5 different locations. Eight of our members were killed. The 9th one died while being rushed to the hospital. most of this morning, between 3. am and 5 am were spent on the phone trying to find help. I had to call the military commandant through his superior officer whom I know personally. They organised and went. and by 5 00 am they had calmed down the situation.The people mobilised themselved and pursued the attackers. One of those caught is a Nigerian Policeman from far away Yobe the headquarter of BH. You may recal I said the President of nigeria had, in a broadcast said he had become aware that the Government has been infilterated by BH people. If the people did not rise to their defence the Christians would have been wiped out. I am rethinking Church history. I wonder why the Churches that were once strong got wiped out. Whatever thology one holds, now is survival that is seen as the best thing to do. Pastoral leadership at this time is very hard and tasking.As I said in previous communications, we now know that the Northern Muslims are using BH to fight for them. Some of the young persons caught this morning confessed to being sponsored by the M. elites.We had suspected that. Pray that the sponsore of these attacks be exposed and brought to book by the law. Pray that the law does not get compromised.We wait in hope and trust God.Now we sleep with one eye closed and the other opened.Lord, have mercy!!

Our eyes are on the Lord.

What do you do when your neighbour turns mad and starts to kill all your children? What would Jesus do? How do you love a person who never grew up with any love, and the good Christian for him is the dead one?

From a Christian pastor in Jos, Nigeria

2012-01-21T16:33:00.001Z

We send greetings today, January 20th this year. No body is still in 2011. We wrote early this year about the trauma of high petrol price. some of you call it gas. What we call gas here is different. Enough of digression. That was just after the Christmas bombing by Islamic religious sect called Boko Haram ( Western education is forbidden or evil). Of course one has to be illiterate to hate and bomb literate people in the name of God. Further studies and investiagtion is convincing many of us here that Islam in Northern Nigeria is different from Islam in Souhern Nigeria. Many of the Islamic countries are experiencing the same problem. A week ago we had to close two of our congregations in Damaturu in Yobe. This is further North. I had gone and just returned from that place and hell was let lose.The pastor was almost killed. Most Churches were burnt and property of Chrstians destroyed. Meanwhile Labour organised nationwide strike action to protest the oil price hike. Govement brought it down abit. From 141 naira to 97 as against N65. It is still very high for most Nigerians but better than N141. The naira has also been devalued so it does not make any difference. Not only has petrol gone up, food and everything else has gone up.The most devastating thing is the threats to our lives. One of our pastors was chased by a BH man on a morocycle and shot at 11 times but all the 11 bullets missed him. He called me from Borno in the night and asked me to thank God that he would have been wasted by 11 bullets. Many of our pastors cannot live in the pastors houses any more because of the threats to their lives. Because the security is also divided on religious line, it is more dangerous to trust any of them.The oil price hike is not as threatening as the Boko Haram. The king leader was arrested and while in police custody he was reported to have escaped. The President in a nationwide broadcast has said he now knows that his Government has beeen infilterated by BH people. He has suspended the Police boss. The Inspector general of the nation will lose his job if the BH man is not produced. But that is it. We know that it is the work of senior Muslims in the country who have a hand in all these. Their goal has been to islamise Nigeria by all means. We have had no choice but to ask our members to defend their families and not to allow themselve be killed like animals. We do not wan to go and fight. We will not take up arms but cannot see mad men kill sane people. We have encouraged congregations to set up vigilante groups and get bomb detectors.We are not dealing with human beings anymore but wild animals claiming to be working for God. No, gods. Our eyes are on the Lord. If we fold our arms and watch them kill us are we cooperating with good or evil? These are hard questions in a hard time..Thank you for praying for us.

NIGERIA – Christians attacked after extremist ultimatum to 'leave or die'

2012-01-12T12:33:00.001Z

Islamist extremists have launched fresh attacks on Christian communities after telling them to leave northern Nigeria – or die.

Violent attacks in three northern states last week left at least 30 people dead after Boko Haram issued a new year ultimatum for Christians to leave northern Nigeria in three days. The Red Cross reports that in some areas Christians are fleeing the region in response to recent violence, including Christmas Day bombings (Prayer Alert, December 28, 2011).

At least 21 people were killed in the town of Mubi in Adamawa state – where, on Friday, gunmen opened fire on Christians who had gathered to mourn three people killed the previous day.

Release partner Stefanos Foundation reports that gunmen raided the Deeper Life Church in Gombe city, Gombe state, on Thursday evening. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports that six people were killed, including the pastor's wife. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Mubi and Gombe.

There have also been reports that gunmen fired on Christians leaving church in the Adamawa state capital, Yola, on Friday, killing several people – although precise details are not yet known. And CSW reports that two people died in a raid on a Christian compound in Damaturu, Yobe.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who has declared a state of emergency in Yobe, Borno, Plateau and Niger states, has just said that he suspects his Government and security forces include Boko Haram sympathisers. Christians fear that extremists' aim to split Nigeria along religious lines may heighten ethnic tensions between Christians and Muslims.

For more news and a country profile about Nigeria, click here

NEWS UDPATE:
Chinese officials have announced that Beijing human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng is being held at a remote prison in Xinjiang province, north-west China. His brother, Gao Zhiyi, received a letter from the jail to that effect. ChinaAid reports that officials also announced that they had sentenced Gao to three years in jail for 'violating the terms of his probation'. Gao has not been seen since his arrest in February 2009, except for a brief reappearance in March 2010. His wife and children, who fled to the US, have had no confirmation of his condition or whereabouts.

To watch a BBC interview with our partner Bob Fu talking about Gao's sentence click here

(Sources: Agence France-Presse, BBC, China Aid, CSW, Reuters, Stefanos Foundation)

• Pray for wisdom and a firm resolve for all those involved in tackling the extremist threat posed by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Pray that Christians in the worst-affected states will 'rest in the shadow of the Almighty' (Psalm 91:1).
• Please pray for Release partner Stefanos and a project Release has supported that provides training on trauma counselling to children affected by the violence. The training takes place later this month.
• Ask God to bless, comfort and fill with His peace the family of Gao Zhisheng – including his wife Geng He, his children Geng Ge and Gao Tianyu.

The Hurt Locker

2012-01-07T22:30:00.003Z

Having watched it I wonder why I bothered. How did it win all those Oscars? Foul mouthed soldiers whose communication left me out. A lot of the time I could not understand what was going on in the narrative nor in the action. It was bitty in plot. I remember being critical of Saving Private Ryan but that was great compared with this. It communicated the horror of war and the frightening tension of bomb disposal. I have nothing but admiration for these bravest of soldiers. But I have no admiration for the makers of this film.

Metrical Psalms

2012-01-01T17:00:00.003Z

Click on the title for Psalm 23 to The Bays Of Harris with beautiful photos of the island's coast.

Eve of Christmas Attack on Church in South-West of Iran

2011-12-26T09:33:00.000Z

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Sunday, December 25, 2011

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

AHVAZ, IRAN (ANS) -- Two days before Christmas, State Security agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran, attacked the Assembly of God Church in Ahvaz, and detained the pastor, the Rev. Farhad Sabok-Rooh, and his wife.

Rev. Farhad Sabok-Rooh

According to the Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN) --www.fcnn.com – the attack took place on Friday, December 23, 2011, at 11:00 local time, during the weekly service in the church located in the city of Ahvaz, the center of oil rich province of Khuzestan, situated about 559 miles south-west of Tehran, when a large number of State Security agents surrounded the building and raided the church, located in Kianpars 3th street.

“All those present, including children attending their Friday school, were arrested, mobile phones confiscated, and church building thoroughly searched by the plainclothes agents who refused to identify themselves,” said the FCCN story.

“A number of computers, all audio-visual equipment, and hundreds of copies of Christian books, were seized and removed; Church attendees were relieved of their mobile phones and were taken on two buses to an unknown destination.

“A number of armed State Security agents of the Islamic Republic stayed on who continued their search for a considerable time afterwards.”

FCNN reports that almost all detainees, after a thorough searched and considerable verbal abuse, were released a few hours later.

However, Rev. Farhad Sabok-Rooh, his wife Shahnaz, and two other Christian workers, named David and Naser, have not been released but are being held in an unidentified prison.

“The released church attendees have been told to be ready to be summoned back, and if it is deemed not to be harmful to the security of the Islamic Republic, their mobiles may be returned then,” said FCCN.

However, the whereabouts of Rev. Farhad, his wife Shahnaz, and the other two church workers is as yet unknown, and the “authorities” have thus far not given any reason for their vehement Anti-Christian activities in Ahvaz.

“During the months of January and February of this year; many house churches in Ahvaz and Dezfool were raided and during a wave of attacks against Christians,” added FCCN.

“Many have been detained while many more were called-in to the Ministry of Intelligence offices in Ahwaz. According to one source at least three have been detained and more than 20 were called in for interrogation and intimidation.”

My mother's birthplace July 1918

2011-12-24T19:49:00.004Z

Click on the title for it. I have a collection of postcards from my grandfather in the army in Germany to her as a baby at this address. I believe my great grandfather was a labourer on the Ewart Park estate with the females of the family in service. There name was Lillico, an unusual one but commoner in Northumberland for it is a corruption of Linlithgow.

Mother married a local Graham. I have just found the name is notorious.

'I was drinking tea and idly watching Alistair Moffat's The Reivers and The Making of The Borders on ITV. This particular episode was all about the Reiving Graham Family and what became of them...(I bet you can guess the punchline by now but I certainly hadn't). The fate of the lawless Graham/Grahem family involved them being expelled to Ireland. How did they respond? They simply changed their name and got back over here. They had changed their surname to Meharg and so they quietly slipped back into England hoodwinking the authorities yet again. Of course, when I heard this, I nearly choked on my cup of char. The Reiver descendant's name which had so flummoxed me was - Grahem Meharg (a veritable palindrome). The answer to the riddle had been staring me in the face all along!

Fast forward to this month - September 2010..with Mr.H. loving the history of this area as much as I do. . .

We had some Scottish guests staying with us who had not heard of the Border Reivers. This is understandable as they came from a coastal part of Scotland far from the Border area. (The Reivers are not widely known outside this region although many Americans, who are researching their family history, come over to learn more about their ancestors and know a lot about them.)

When Mr. H. got onto the subject of the Reiving Grahams/Grahems' name change the Scottish lady spluttered into her tea too when she heard the story! It turns out that they know some Mehargs as well. Those Mehargs, it seems, may well be unaware of their Border roots as they think their name was McHarg or something similar given that it is so unusual. The Scottish lady's husband who was also present, plies his trade in linguistics and dialects so he too was extremely taken by all of this. "A palindromic riddle solved" as Mr.H. so aptly put it.

So there you have it. Here is a short history of the Grahams/Grahems (for a lengthier version the BBC has done a sterling job here) - I've quoted an extract from this brilliant website - The Debatable Lands Beyond The Wall:

"A couple of tales exist relating to where the Graham clan came from. One states they were descendents of a man called Graeme, who in Roman times helped to breach the Antonine Wall which ran between the Rivers Clyde and Forth. However it is more likely that they were of Norman French origin and initially settled in Grantham in Lincolnshire from which they took their name. Their original name is likely to have been De Grantham, which over the years changed to De Graham and finally shortened to Graham.

It is known that the clan moved to Scotland in 12th Century where a William de Graham is recorded in 1127. The Grahams were accepted as Scottish citizens after one of the clan married into the native Scottish family of Strathearn. Whilst spread throughout areas of both Scotland and England, The Graham clan were mainly associated with Dumfriesshire and Cumberland.

The Grahams are one of the most notorious of the Reiver families and often raided the lands of their arch enemies the Robsons of North Tynedale.in Northumberland. By 1552 legend states that the Graham clan was at least 500 strong occupying 13 Pele towers.

Following the Union of England and Scotland in 17th Century, some of the most ruthless Grahams were sent to Ireland with other tribesmen including Kerrs, Armstrongs and Eliots and forbidden to return." ' - http://www.hadrianastreasures.com/2010/09/reivers-riddle-resolved.html

Rt Rev Benjamin Kwashi: Religious persecution in Nigeria

2011-12-17T11:31:00.002Z

50 Christians killed amid Syria unrest; many families need humanitarian aid

2011-12-15T11:46:00.000Z

Barnabas Fund international director visits Syria, hears concerns of Christian leaders

Around 50 Christians have been killed in the anti-government unrest in Homs, Syria, by both rebels and government forces, while many more are struggling to feed their families as the violence brings normal life in the city to a halt.

Iraqi Christian refugee in Syria receives a food parcel from Barnabas Fund

In one tragic incident, a young Christian boy was killed by the rebels, who filmed the murder and then claimed that government forces had committed the act. Another Christian was seized by the rebels, taken to a house and asked, “How do you want to die?” The man completely broke down and was released but has been left in severe psychological distress.

Many Christian families have fled Homs because of the violence between government troops and the rebels, which has claimed around 1,500 lives in the city. They have left behind their homes, possessions and jobs, so are now struggling to find the means to feed their families. Some of those who are staying in the city are too afraid to leave their homes to go to work, so they too are in great financial hardship. Few dare to go out after 3pm or on Fridays, when the streets are most dangerous.

A Christian leader in Homs said that the Christian areas of the city are surrounded by rebels. They sometimes try to “disappear” into Christian neighbourhoods, which are generally expected to be peaceful, but they are hunted down there by the army, and violence ensues.

Barnabas director meets Christians in Syria

Barnabas Fund’s International Director, Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, returned earlier this month from a visit to Syria. He met with senior Syrian church leaders, who expressed the concerns of the country’s Christians about the ongoing unrest.

Christians comprise a significant proportion of the Syrian population, around ten per cent (two million); this includes thousands of Iraqi Christian refugees who have been forced from their homeland by anti-Christian violence and persecution.

The Syrian regime may not function according to Western standards, but it has afforded the Christian community equality and religious freedom; Syria is one of the few Arab lands where Christians have enjoyed respect and been allowed to live peacefully among their Muslim neighbours.

But the current crisis has destabilised that harmony as Christians are perceived as supporters of the Assad government, having been well treated under his regime. And, as in other countries affected by the “Arab Spring”, radical Islamists in Syria – with backing from Saudi Arabia – have seized the opportunity created by the unrest to pursue their agenda, increasing the danger for Christians.

Christians fear repeat of Iraq

Christians fear that their precarious position will only worsen as the international community intensifies pressure on the Syrian government and appears to be moving towards military intervention. Weapons and militants from outside are already coming into the country, strengthening the rebels’ campaign.

A senior Syrian church leader has written:

The people of Syria do not want the international powers to interfere in their lives and so divide the country as they did in Iraq. Any such hidden agenda of the superpowers will mean the end of Christianity in the Middle East. Simply look at what happened to the Christians of Iraq after the war began there… A great number of them had no choice but to leave the country forever, and those who stayed remain marginalised to this day. Not to forget that many of them were persecuted and their churches bombed. Accordingly, Christians in Syria are very suspicious of the interference of the superpowers, because their destiny stands to be no different than that of their Iraqi brothers and sisters.

Western and Arab media have presented a distorted picture of the unrest in Syria. The undeniable atrocities being committed by the government have been well documented, but equally despicable acts by the rebels do not make the headlines. And while some reports suggest that the country is in a state of civil war, in reality the conflict is at present mainly concentrated in Homs. Such one-sided reporting is fuelling international pressure against the government.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, said:

The tragedy facing Syria, especially the Christian community and other minorities, is potentially another Iraq. It is now recognised that the war in Iraq was not only misguided but also illegal, with devastating consequences for the peoples of Iraq, especially the Christians. This must not be allowed to happen again. Christians must now pray for peace and stability, but also urge their governments not to engage in actions in Syria without considering the consequences.

Christians in Syria, including Iraqi refugees, are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance as sanctions and the unrest are beginning to cripple the country’s economy. People who have lost jobs and homes are coming to the churches asking for food. Barnabas Fund has created a special Middle East Fund to help those who are being affected by the crisis across the region. A family of four needs £3 a day for food (€3.60, NZ$6.20).

Please Pray

For all those in Syria who have lost loved ones or are suffering hardship as a result of the unrest.
That peace will quickly be re-established and that the international community will carefully consider the effects on the Syrian population of any economic and military actions.
For the Christians in Syria, that the Lord will protect His Church there and maintain for Himself a strong witness in that land.

Give Today

If you would like to help Christians affected by the unrest in the Middle East, please send your donation to the Middle East Fund (project 00-1032). Please click to donate online using our secure server.

If you prefer to telephone, dial: 0800 587 4006 from within the UK or +44 1672 565031 from outside the UK. Please quote project reference Middle East Fund(project 00-1032).

If you prefer to send a cheque by post: Click this link for the address of our regional office. Please quote project reference Middle East Fund (project 00-1032).

For a quick donation of £3.00 by SMS (see terms and conditions here) textBarnabas/1032 to 70007 (Please note: This facility is presently only available to UK supporters).

First attacks on Christian 'safe haven' in Kurdish north

2011-12-10T09:20:00.000Z

Attacks on Christian businesses in the Kurdish north of Iraq have caused deep concern among local Assyrian Christians for whom the region has been a safe haven.

Riots broke out on Friday in the northern town of Zakho in Dohuk province in the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan – after a Muslim mullah spoke out about the sale of alcohol. Reuters news agency reports that gangs set fire to more than 30 shops and bars and damaged three hotels, most of which are Christian-owned businesses.

Later on Friday, rioters tried to attack Christian quarters of Zakho, but the authorities intervened to protect these neighbourhoods. Further violence erupted the following day in the provincial capital, Dohuk, where groups attacked shops and a cultural club in two Christian areas. On Monday, minor incidents of similar violence were reported near the Kurdish capital, Erbil, and in Sulaymaniyah.

Local sources alleged that the attacks in Zakho had been organised by a pro-Islamic political party.

Canon Andrew White, the vicar of St George's Church in Baghdad and President of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, told Release: 'We had placed so much hope on the fact that there was one place in Iraq where Christians could find security and a future. That place was Dohuk.

'Sadly, with the violence in the last few days, this hope has now gone. People are petrified and are saying, 'What happens to us now?' Will we stand with them and support them in this great difficulty? Faith shines a light into the darkness, hope into despair, gives a future where there is no future.'

Since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled north to areas such as Kurdistan, which became largely autonomous in 1991.

For more news and a country profile about Iraq, click here

(Sources: Compass Direct, Reuters)

• Pray for peace and religious tolerance to be restored in Iraqi Kurdistan.
• Pray that this latest violence will prompt Christians in Iraq to draw even closer to God rather than be tempted to leave their homeland. Ask God to bless the peace-building ministries of Canon Andrew White and the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East.

Please forward this email to Christian friends so that they can pray too.

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IPC Churches: Distinctives

2011-12-08T09:12:00.002Z

Presbyterian churches differ from evangelical ones with independent government in that there is no doctrinal test for members, only for office holders. However there is a need to let those interested in the church know for what we stand. So our presbytery has produced the following document to state our beliefs.

=================================================================================================================

This is an attempt to summarise what is distinctive about the churches of the International

Presbyterian Church, both those which already exist and those we hope to plant in the

future.

As Reformed churches, our understanding of the gospel is set out in the Ecumenical

Creeds and the Westminster Confession of Faith, all of which are subordinate to the Bible

as God’s word. None of what follows is intended to detract from or disagree with anything

in these documents.

1. Gospel Distinctives

These are some key points and distinctives of our grasp of the gospel:

a) The gospel is about knowing the Sovereign, Transcendent, Trinitarian God

The gospel is about how the almighty, great and glorious God, who made everything and is

infinitely exalted above all his creation, has called his people to know him. The Triune God

calls us to know the Father through the incarnate Son by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it is God’s

summons to know himself through himself. All the blessings of the gospel, now and for

eternity, are to be understood as coming from the Father, won for us by Jesus Christ, and

enjoyed in Spirit-given fellowship with him.

b) The gospel is inseparable from the Word of God

The gospel is good news (Mark 1:1): that is, it is a message to be verbally proclaimed.

Furthermore, this message is the word of God (Acts 6:7), defined by the Scriptures. The

Scriptures are God’s covenant constitution for his church, through all of which the Holy

Spirit brings the Church into existence and onwards to maturity. We therefore treat the

Scriptures as having the full authority of God himself, and aim to understand it in continuity

with the Church throughout history. For this reason we are a confessional church: not only

must we say that we believe the Bible’s teaching, but we must state clearly what it is we

believe the Bible teaches. Therefore we hold to the ecumenical creeds and the Westminster

Confession, as encapsulating the content of the gospel.

c) The gospel is about forgiveness of sins

As the angel announced to Joseph before his birth (Matthew 1:21), and Jesus himself said

after his resurrection (Luke 24:47), the principle blessing he came to give to those who

receive him is the forgiveness of sins. Specifically, forgiveness of us by God for the sins we

have committed against him, through the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus at the cross, saving

us from future judgment and justifying us for eternity. Important as other blessings of the

gospel are, this is never to be neglected, eclipsed or displaced as the centre point of what

salvation in Christ means.

d) The gospel is about the whole of life

Once the central place of forensic forgiveness has been affirmed, it is necessary to say that

the gospel is not merely that. The gospel is that God in Christ is restoring and completing

his creation: restoring what was has been damaged by sin, and completing his original

purposes when he created the world and placed man over it to rule it and fill it. This has

been accomplished by Christ in his death and resurrection and will be brought to

completion in his body, the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). The church is therefore humanity

recreated in the image of God (Ephesians 4:24).

Forgiveness and justification are therefore the essential beginning of the work of

redemption and transformation that encompasses the whole of human life. This means not

only the whole of the life of the individual Christian (there is no area of a Christian’s life

which is not to be transformed in the power of the Spirit into the likeness of Christ), but the

whole of human society throughout the world. The Church is an international body united in

Christ (Colossians 3:11). Jesus gave himself to redeem us from all lawlessness and to

purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus

2:14).

e) The gospel is about the return of Christ

While we have a foretaste of these things now, we do not expect their full realisation now

but only at Christ’s return when Christians will be united with him in a resurrection like his

(Romans 6:5). What Christians receive now from the risen and ascended Christ is a

foretaste of these things, in their new birth in their ‘inner man’ (2 Cor 4:16) and in the life of

the church, which is the nucleus of the new creation.

f) The gospel is about the church and vice versa

God’s plan of salvation has always centred on his covenant people, the Church. The

members of the Kingdom of God are the members of Jesus’ Church; the Church is the

sphere of redemption. It is not merely the meeting-place for converted people; it is the

nation God has chosen for himself, the race who are being restored into God’s true image,

because it is the body and bride of Christ the true image of the invisible God. As such the

Church is the nucleus of the new creation and salvation is all about being part of the

Church. To be saved is to enter the Kingdom, to join the covenant people of God.

In his covenant God chooses a nation as his own, calls them to himself, binds himself to

them and them to him by his words and comes to dwell with them, to be their God and to

have them as his people. Far from being something which was scrapped with the coming

of Christ in favour of a whole new mode of salvation (applied atomistically to individuals

through faith outside of any context of covenant), the glory of the new covenant is that the

gentiles have come to share in the blessings of Israel (e.g. Rom 15:27). Individual faith is

vital because the promises of the covenant must be received in faith; and for just the same

reason, faith must be in the covenant promises, made to God’s people as a whole. The

goal of salvation is the building of the Church, rather than the other way round.

This means the Church is the sphere where the whole-life gospel is put into practice.

Calling people to salvation is calling them to Christ, which is calling people into his Church.

Of course church membership must never be divorced from faith in Christ; but nor should

faith in Christ be divorced from church membership. The Church is to be a counterculture

where God’s design for humanity, for all human relationships is restored and displayed for

the world to see.

Because there is one Church, the one covenant people of the Triune God, connection and

mutual accountability between congregations is important. Gospel unity needs to be

maintained by appropriate accountability of elders to the wider church, and spurred on by

mutual encouragement in the gospel. The Biblical pattern appears to be that these twin

functions should be fulfilled by a council of elders from many churches – a presbytery (1

Timothy 4:14). Presbyterian church government is, therefore, both a court for the good

government of the church and a catalyst for the growth of the church.

The individualised gospel of much of evangelicalism, while in God’s grace having led to

countless conversions, has unwittingly led to the growth of secularisation, as the Lordship

of Christ has been successively excluded from the public domain, and the values of the

Enlightenment seen as supreme instead. In our day, when this dominance of secularism is

beginning to turn into active persecution of Christians, it is more important than ever that

the Church learns to counter secularism by proclaiming Christ not merely as a saviour of

individuals but as Lord of all who is building his Church as the nucleus of the new creation

he will surely bring about at his return.

2. Church distinctives

All the above is simply an attempt to articulate a Reformed vision of the gospel and the

Church as the covenant people of the Triune God. Our aim is to apply this vision to the

world we live in today.

The practical application of this can be summarised under two headings.

a) The Holy Spirit applies the blessings of the gospel through the means of grace.

While the visible church, as seen by us in the present, is not to be identified with the true

Church of those of genuine faith (which is invisible to us), nevertheless the ordinary means

by which God gives Christians the blessings of salvation come through the visible church.

Therefore the normal Spirit-filled Christian life is lived in the church and it is through the

means of grace found in the church that the Holy Spirit brings people to faith in Christ and

grows them to Christian maturity.

Therefore our churches, and future church plants, should have the following distinctives:

i) Preaching

God has always built his Church through his word; Jesus rules his Church through the

written word, written and illuminated by his Spirit. Therefore the preaching of the word of

God to the assembly of the church is the central act of the church’s worship and the central

means through which she submits to her Lord. Both expository and doctrinal preaching are

important; expository preaching is of particular value in keeping the church under the

authority of God’s word. Both must constantly proclaim Christ crucified, risen and

ascended (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).

ii) Sacraments

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are not dispensable additions to the Christian’s life; they

are given and commanded by Christ as sure signs of his grace and, when received with

faith, means of communicating that grace to us. Thus while they are of no value if received

with no faith (in fact they increase condemnation), and salvation does not depend on them,

they are in ordinary circumstances essential parts of the life of the Christian and the life of

the Church. They are (as the Westminster Confession says) signs and seals of the

Covenant of Grace: Baptism of entry into that covenant, the Lord’s Supper of continuing

life within it.

As such, the Lord’s Supper is to be a regular feature of our services and Baptism should be

administered as soon as possible after a credible profession of faith. In line with their nature

as covenant signs, infants born within the family of the church are rightly baptised to show

their membership of the covenant people in which they will grow; and children giving a

credible profession of faith, as judged by their parents and the church’s elders, are rightly

given the Lord’s Supper.

When understood in this way the sacraments are a powerful visual proclamation of the

gospel both to believers and unbelievers.

iii) Elders

Elders, also called in the New Testament overseers, shepherds and teachers, are Christ’s

ordained means of equipping the saints for the work of ministry so as to build up the body

of Christ, and so bring his church to maturity. They do this through their example, their

teaching, and their government of the church (Ephesians 4:11-16). Elders are to meet the

standards set for them in 1 Timothy and Titus and obey Paul’s exhortations in Acts 20. A

healthy church should have a plurality of elders according to the New Testament pattern. It

is the responsibility of elders to teach the Bible to their church and to dispense the

sacraments appropriately. This includes the discipline of believers when necessary.

Eldership is to be seen as an immense blessing to the whole church; a gift from the

ascended Christ to his people (along with the Apostles, Prophets, and Evangelists), as the

principle route through which he applies the blessings of his word to his church, through

preaching, teaching, governing and pastoral care.

Being instituted and ordained by Christ, the office of elder is not to be tampered with.

Elders hold a delegated authority from Christ, and as such it is only an office for men, the

distinct roles of male and female in human society being clearly laid out in Scripture.

The office of Ruling Elder, as one who exercises the authority of an elder without having the

regular duty of teaching, is less prominent in the New Testament than in the Old, but still

appears to be present (1 Timothy 5:17) and is to be preserved.

There are many godly brothers in Christ who do not hold to a covenantal view of the church

as set out above, and therefore are unable to subscribe to the Westminster confession (for

example, they might refuse to baptise the children of believers). Such men and their

families are most welcome as members of our churches. However, since it is essential for

the good governance of the church that elders hold to a common vision of the church, and

the Reformed view of the church set out above is of great significance to the character of

our gospel preaching, it is not acceptable for such men to be elders in our churches. At the

same time, those with such convictions who are elders of other orthodox churches are to

be treated as brothers and fellow-elders and dissension is to be avoided.

iv) Deacons

Deacons are entrusted with the care of the needy, starting with those in the church. Each

church should aim to appoint deacons, to enable the elders to concentrate on the ministry

of the word and prayer.

b) The Holy Spirit drives the church to Mission

i) Mission is essential

The covenantal view of the church held by Reformed churches demands active

involvement in mission. The covenant with Abraham was always intended to bring blessing

to all the nations of the earth; ever since Pentecost Christ has been gathering his people,

through the witness of the Spirit to the word as it is proclaimed by the Church, from all

across the world. It is therefore inconsistent and unbiblical for churches with Reformed

convictions to be satisfied with self-preservation and not see winning disciples from the

unbelieving nation in which they are located, and partnering with churches doing the same

worldwide, as a high priority.

ii) Mission means drawing people into the covenant by the gospel

The covenant of grace is a counter-culture; it is not our ambition to assimilate to the culture

in which we find ourselves but to transform those who join the church into the radically

different culture of the Kingdom of God. British Christians have more in common culturally

with fellow-Christians in Kazakhstan, and with fellow-Christians who lived in the Roman

Empire of the first century, than with their non-Christian British neighbours.

iii) Mission requires laying aside stumbling blocks for those coming from within

contemporary culture

At the same time, our desire to guard the apostolic gospel and live in a distinctive Christian

way is not to be confused with a desire to preserve subculture, which may be no more than

the relic of non-Christian culture of an earlier age. There is of course great wisdom in

learning from where Christians in earlier ages have learned things from Scripture that we

have missed; but there is no virtue in preserving (for example) forms of dress, or language,

from an earlier age merely because it is from an earlier age. While finding our identity in

Christ, and always wanting to reform all of life according to Scripture, we should be willing

to do so in ways which lay no unnecessary stumbling blocks in the way of non-Christians

coming to church, hearing and understanding the gospel, repenting and believing in Christ

and joining his Church. Our passion and desire is that sinners in a world ruined by sin may

hear and believe the gospel of Christ and find salvation as they come to him, join his

church, and wait for his return.

Council Prayers

2011-12-04T07:48:00.002Z

Click on the title for a Grauniad piece which has no sympathy with the National Secular Society's attempt to stop prayers when Bideford Council meets. This week judgement was reserved in the case. I trust the judge recognises that in a country with an established church it is out of order to wish to remove things Christian from public life. Once again a case is based on human rights. A judge is to decide if the right to be secular trumps the liberty to be Christian. This burden should not be one placed on judges. Human rights law is fundamentally flawed when it is to be the basis of overturning the practice of centuries and the wishes of a democratic majority. The National or Negative SS might be a better name for this small but exceedingly vocal little pressure group.

Christian Leader Shot Dead in Pakistan in Suspected Islamist Attack

2011-12-04T07:36:00.000Z

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Saturday, December 3, 2011

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

MCLEAN, VA. (ANS) -- A leading figure in the Christian community has been shot dead in Pakistan, having previously received death threats.

The Funeral of Jameel Sawan

According to a news release from the Barnabas Fund, Jameel Sawan, a preacher, evangelist and champion of minority rights, was gunned down in Karachi on Nov. 16.

He was a city businessman, but spent a lot of his time pastoring Christians and sharing the Gospel with Muslims.

The Barnabas Fund said Sawan had also been a close aide to Saleem Khursheed Khokhar, who is chairman of the Standing Committee on Minorities Affairs in the Sindh Assembly and president of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance in Sindh.

Both men had received death threats from Muslim extremists because of their involvement in campaigning for minority rights and support for policies initiated by the assassinated Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti.

The Barnabas Fund said Khokhar initiated a two-minute silence at the Sindh Assembly for Sawan, as well as three Hindu doctors who were killed in Shikarpur a few days earlier. He also appealed for protection and financial assistance for Sawan’s family.

Sawan leaves a wife, two sons and three daughters. His family believes that he was targeted by a radical Muslim group.

Barnabas Fund provides hope and assistance for the persecuted church. For more information go to www.barnabasfund.org/US/About-us/Who-we-are

Toni Cade Bambara (1939-1995) - christiansquoting.org.uk/

2011-12-01T08:42:00.001Z

[W]e have not been scuffling in this waste-howling wildness for the right to be stupid.-- Toni Cade Bambara (1939-1995) "The Salt Eaters," 1980.

NIGERIA – Militant attacks spread

2011-11-30T19:51:00.001Z

Release partners report that Islamist militant group Boko Haram has launched fresh attacks on churches in Yobe – while militants continue their attacks on Christian villages in Plateau.

Stefanos Foundation says eight churches were destroyed in Geidam in Yobe state on Saturday. Police headquarters were also attacked in a series of bombings and gun attacks. This follows a familiar pattern in attacks by Boko Haram who target security forces and Christians in their campaign to establish strict Sharia (Islamic law).

Stefanos also reports that its own staff were caught up in an attack on a Church of Christ of Nigeria congregation in Barkin Ladi town, Plateau state, last Wednesday. Four Christians died in the raid.

'Fulani Muslims were shooting at Christians from the hills and then police moved in in armoured cars to defend the village,' said a Stefanos spokesman. 'Villagers and police were being fired on from all sides. We had to withdraw for our own safety. We later saw houses being set on fire.'

Compass Direct news agency is reporting that at least 45 ethnic Berom Christians were killed in Plateau in the week leading up to last Monday. Their attackers were reportedly Fulani Muslim herdsmen and military.

Compass said that these 45 casualties included nine Christians killed in a further assault on Barkin Ladi last Thursday and 26 killed in nearby Kwok village on the same day. Churches in Barkin Ladi were very poorly attended on Sunday as so many Christians have fled the area.

For more news and a country profile about Nigeria, click here

(Sources: Compass Direct, Stefanos Foundation, Vanguard – Nigeria)

• Ask God to comfort all those bereaved, injured or affected by recent attacks in Yobe and Plateau. Pray that Christians in those states will know God as their rock and their Saviour.
• Thank God for recent reports from Stefanos that, in some areas at least, police and security forces are protecting Christian villages from attack. Pray that this will continue and will help persuade the many Christians fleeing the area to return home as well as deter militants.

Please forward this email to Christian friends so that they can pray too.

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Release International, PO Box 54, Orpington, BR5 9RT, UK
Tel: 01689 823491
General enquiries: info@releaseinternational.org
Website address: www.releaseinternational.org

Honore de Balzac (1799 - 1850) - christiansquoting.org.uk/

2011-11-27T17:48:00.001Z

Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact. -- Honore de Balzac

The truest splendors are not in outward things, but in ourselves. - Honoré De Balzac (1799-1850), French novelist. It later entered the Comédie humaine (1845, trans. by George Saintsbury, 1971). Narrator's observation, in Seraphita, chapter III, First published as part of Romans et contes philosophiques (1831), then the Etudes philosophiques (1835).)

Pension strikes

2011-11-26T08:10:00.002Z

The public sector who enjoy better pensions than the private are going on strike to protect their nest eggs. Those of us who have had to buy our own pensions have no sympathy with them. Striking is a selfish inconveniencing of the public and will be of nil effect on negotiations. But what I think is generally not known is that there are two kinds of public sector pensions. Those of local authorities actually have invested funds to pay pensions. But civil servants have no funds saved by the Treasury. Like old age pensions these are funded directly from taxation. This seems to be a further argument to restrict them.

England Bears the Brunt of Immigration

2011-11-26T08:04:00.001Z

93% of immigrants to the UK live in England. That is the conclusion of research by Migration Watch UK. Of the 7.1 million foreign born people living in the UK, 6.6 million live in England.

As for the latest projections for population growth, 86% is expected to occur in England. Commenting, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migration Watch UK said:

"The immigration lobby like to talk about the UK, obscuring the fact that England is six times as crowded as Scotland. Since the vast majority of immigrants come to England, it is England's place in the league table that counts. Leaving aside city states and small islands, England lies sixth among the most crowded countries in the world. As people sit in traffic jams or squeeze onto their morning trains it will be clearly ridiculous to claim that their eyes are deceiving them and there is not a problem simply because places like the Maldives or Mayotte have higher population densities than England".

This news is even more worrying due to the recent revelations that the UK population will reach 86 million by 2056. As England takes 93% of these immigrants, the impact on services, infrastructure, health care and education will be compounded for the long suffering English.

Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said:

"ONS data confirms the shocking fact that the UK population is projected to hit 80 million by 2056, overtaking Germany in the process – despite having far less space – to become the most populous nation in the EU. We must get net migration down to below 40,000 to stabilise our population below 70 million. Anyone who suggests that net migration of 150,000 will do has simply not looked at the facts."

The English Democrats say mass immigration must stop now. The English Democrats support whatever measures are necessary to bring mass immigration to a complete end. Such measures should include:

• Thorough border controls with all inward and outward movements through ports being logged to provide the best quality information on migration movements.

• Stronger visa requirements for countries with a reputation for illegal movements.

• The deportation of all illegal immigrants. There should be no amnesties. Illegality should not be rewarded by the granting of citizenship. Nor should organised crime rackets be allowed to profit from people smuggling. Discovered illegal immigrants should be offered the choice between cooperatively returning straight home, or being sent to a distant offshore holding centre during the processing of their repatriation case.

• The repeal of the Human Rights Act and the withdrawal of the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights. Both of these flawed items of legislation have perversely assisted criminals while offering little of substance to the law-abiding population.

• Punitive fining and possible withdrawal of trading rights of companies, company directors and other employers who employ illegal immigrants.

• The deportation of all those immigrants who have been convicted of a criminal offence or who are advocates of, or active supporters of, extremist behaviour of a violent, separatist or destabilising nature.

• The strengthening of the customs and immigration services and the vigorous enforcement of the law. The English Democrats recognise that successive Labour and Tory governments have handed over control of immigration to the EU to such an extent that it is impossible to regain proper control of immigration without leaving the EU. The English Democrats firmly support withdrawal from the EU, subject to referendum approval, and will campaign forcefully to that end. Once the UK has left the EU full border controls can be restored.

The stranger

2011-11-25T21:12:00.000Z

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.
As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mum taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger... he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.

If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.

Sometimes, Mum would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet.
(I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home - not from us, our friends or any visitors Our long time visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol but the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.

I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... And NEVER asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

His name?....

We just call him 'TV.'

(Note: This should be required reading for every household!)
He has a wife now....we call her 'Computer.'
Their first child is "Cell Phone".
Second child "I Pod"
By the way, they now have a wonderful grand child
she is a genius!
she is fondly called "Black Berry ". BB for short.
She is nearly more popular than her mom
her new baby cousin is " I pad"
This Stranger has decided to take up permanent residence in our house. what can we do

about this Monster?

Lucille Ball (1911-1989) - christiansquoting.org.uk/

2011-11-25T20:55:00.001Z

Divorce is defeat.- Lucille Ball (1911-1989)

One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.- Lucille Ball (1911-1989)

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.- Lucille Ball (1911-1989) In "An Uncommon Scold," by Abby Adams, 1989.

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office. - Lucille Ball, 1911 - 1989

NIGERIA – Two girls killed in night raid

2011-11-24T20:16:00.000Z

Four people were killed and six people injured in a raid last weekend on a Christian village in Bauchi state in central Nigeria, according to Release partner Stefanos Foundation.

A gang armed with machetes launched a night-time attack on Gargari village in Bogoro local government area. The injured included a two-month-old baby and 45-year-old Bebecca Zakka who lost her two daughters aged seven and ten in the raid.

Stefanos also reports that three young Christian men were shot dead by suspected militants in an attack on Rakwok village, near Jos in Plateau state, on Sunday. Stefanos reports that security forces were mobilised to protect Rakwok villagers from further attacks.

(Source: Stefanos Foundation)

• Ask God to comfort and strengthen villagers in Gargari and Rakwok, especially those who were injured or bereaved. Thank God that security forces, who have been accused of complacency or complicity in previous incidents, are being seen to be protecting Rakwok from further attack.

Please forward this email to Christian friends so that they can pray too.

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Release International, PO Box 54, Orpington, BR5 9RT, UK
Tel: 01689 823491
General enquiries: info@releaseinternational.org
Website address: www.releaseinternational.org

Christians Injured in Attack in Vietnam Denied Medical Care

2011-11-23T07:42:00.000Z

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Christians Injured in Attack in Vietnam Denied Medical Care
House church network leaders finally resort to private hospital far from attack site

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

HANOI, VIETNAM (ANS) -- Three Christians seriously injured during a savage attack near Hanoi on Nov. 13 have been evacuated to an undisclosed hospital in Ho Chi Minh City after several hospitals in the region refused to examine and treat them.

Nguyen Thi Lan’s pelvis was broken in two places in the attack on her house church.
(Photo courtesy Compass Direct News).

According to Compass Direct News, the attack on a church leaders’ worship service of an Agape Baptist Church (ABC) house church in Lai Tao village, Bot Xuyen commune, My Duc district, left one woman, evangelist Nguyen Thi Lan, with her pelvis broken in two places and with badly damaged internal organs, according to doctors who recommended emergency surgery.

Yet previously doctors at three area hospitals had told her and two other seriously injured Christians that they were fine and dismissed them, said Pastor Nguyen Cong Thanh, head of the ABC.

Compass explained that when doctors in Vietnam learn that religious motives play a role in violence, commonly they do not dare to treat or even examine the victims of persecution.

Compass reported that Nguyen Thi Lan is a recently-retired Communist Party official who converted to Christianity only last year. Within that short time she had led some 50 people to the Christian faith, angering a fellow villager identified only by his given name, Khoan. Khoan and his son led a gang into her house and beat several people, leaving Pastor Nguyen Danh Chau unconscious and destroying property, sources said.

Compass also said doctors diagnosed internal injuries to the kidneys, liver and perhaps other organs of Nguyen Danh Chau and admitted him for hospital treatment. Nguyen Thi Tac, who had been hit with a steel shovel on her chest and stomach as well as her back, was also still in considerable pain but was not admitted for hospital treatment.

“I pray that you will patiently endure your suffering for Jesus’ sake without bitterness,” Nguyen Cong Thanh told the victims. “Know that the blood you spilled is now joined with Christ’s blood in suffering.”

For more information, log-on to www.compassdirect.org

News from A PASTOR in Egypt

2011-11-22T19:55:00.000Z

Thank you for your emails and concern for the situation in Egypt at present,

we greatly appreciate and need your continued, persistent prayer for our

country!

We are all fine, the church building is fine, but many of our church members

have been very close to the conflict in the last two days in downtown Cairo.

Last night, as the conflict between the demonstrators and the Egyptian army

escalated and became extremely violent, we opened the church building to be

used as a clinic to treat the wounded. Tens of people came and received

treatment from various doctors, and many of our church members were there to

help as needed.

It is a confusing situation for us, to be honest. We are hoping for a

peaceful election process, and yet are keenly aware that the new political

parties are not ready for such a huge step and are unsure what the results

will be. There is a general sense of frustration in many people, as we

aren't seeing any of the promised changes taking place in the government or

in civilian affairs. There is still so much aggression and abuse from the

police towards the people demonstrating and now from the army as well. This

all reminds us that we still need to continue to pray fervently.

Because the elections are coming up very soon, some of the more radical

Islamic parties made a "power show" last Friday, trying to show the public

their influence and their intent to impose their opinions on the new

constitution. Simultaneously, thousands of nonreligious demonstrators showed

up, expressing their frustration with the army for trying so many civilians

in military courts, continuing to arrest citizens unlawfully, and many other

serious errors the army has made as they continue to hold the political

reins. Many youth feel that nothing has changed in Egypt, that we are still

being oppressed by the same old regime with the same aggressive spirit.

There were a number of casualties and hundreds wounded since violence

erupted on Saturday between the demonstrators and the police and on Sunday

with the army.

Simultaneous with the radical Islamic demonstration, we held an all-church

prayer meeting last Friday from 11am-4:30pm. As I wrote before, we also

participated in the region-wide prayer meeting that was on November 11th. We

think around 50,000 attended this prayer meeting, which was held in Abouna

Simeon's "Cave Church" in Garbage City. It was an amazing event, as tens of

thousands of Coptic and Evangelical Christians and Catholics came together

to pray, seek the Lord's face, and raise the Name of Jesus in the face of

all that is taking place in our country. The Spirit of God was clearly at

work and evident in the faces and prayers of the people attending as well as

in the Orthodox leaders who led from the front.

We feel the urgency to continue pressing on in intercession. Please continue

to pray with us!

Tesco's response

2011-11-22T19:14:00.002Z

I give Tesco full marks for a response the day after my email to them. It appears they are acting in response to a request from their homosexual staff. Click on the title for their url, Out at Tesco.

'Dear Mr Weeks

Thank you for your email addressed to Philip Clarke, our Chief Executive, to which I have been asked to respond.

I was sorry to learn you are disappointed with our decision to support World Pride in 2012. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to explain our reasons for this decision.

Tesco is proud to support hundreds of charities and local communities. In the last year alone we have contributed over £64 million in total to charities and good causes in the UK and across the world.

Many of these are local causes that matter to our staff and our customers in the communities in which they live. Others are big national issues, where together with our staff and customers we can make a significant contribution. We raised £7.2 million for children with cancer last year, for example helping Clic Sargent fund specialist care at home for children, and we are set this year to raise over £5 million for the Alzheimer's Society.

We took a decision to support Pride London with a donation of £30,000 because our Out at Tesco network asked us to help. Everyone is welcome at Tesco, and agreeing to the request to sponsor the event was a tangible way of demonstrating that we respect and support our colleagues.

Thank you for contacting our Chief Executive. I trust that I have clarified our position on this matter.

Kind regards

Dawn Clark
Customer Service Executive'

PAKISTAN – Evangelist shot dead by suspected extremists

2011-11-22T19:10:00.000Z

The family of an evangelist shot dead in Karachi say they believe he was killed for his faith.

According to Release's partner Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP), the family is reluctant to pursue the case with police because of fears for their own safety.

Jameel Saawan was killed by an unidentified gunman as he opened up his cosmetics shop in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal of the city's commercial district on the morning of November 16. The gunman fled on a waiting motorbike.

One of Jameel's sons, Zahid, told Compass Direct news agency that his father was well known locally for sharing the Gospel with local Muslims, which he did every day after work. He was also widely respected as a vocal supporter of the Christian community. He had reportedly received threats after speaking of plans to set up a welfare organisation for poor Christians in Karachi two years ago. 'We firmly believe that my father was killed because of his preaching of the Bible, because there is no other reason,' Zahid said.

SLMP is also requesting prayer for a Christian housemaid, Shamim Bibi, 16, who has been accused of stealing a gold ornament from her wealthy employer's house in Lahore – an allegation she denies. Shamim's employer pressurised the police to arrest her but after an investigation they declared her innocent and released her. However, the initial report against her remains active and unless it is officially cancelled by the police she can still be arrested.

For more news and a country profile about Pakistan, click here

NEWS UPDATE:
A Christian pastor in Indian Kashmir summoned to appear before a Sharia or Islamic law court for alleged 'forced conversions' has now been arrested by police. Pastor Chander Mani Khanna from Srinagar had had the summons from a local Muslim mufti (religious leader) to answer allegations of converting Muslim children by offering bribes (Prayer Alert, November 18). Pastor Khanna apparently attended the Sharia court where YouTube footage of a baptism he had conducted was presented as evidence of 'forced conversions'. Much to local Christians' dismay, he was then arrested by police on suspicion of 'promoting enmity' between different religious groups and of 'acts intended to outrage religious feelings'. Kashmir does not have anti-conversion laws.

(Sources: AsiaNews, Compass Direct, Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan)

• Ask God to bless and comfort Jameel Saawan's wife and children. Pray that that all those who have heard the Gospel through Jameel will reflect on his life and death and come to know God's love for themselves.
• Pray for justice for Shamim Bibi: her accuser is powerful and influential.
• Pray God's wisdom and protection for Pastor Khanna, his family and local Christians.

Please forward this email to Christian friends so that they can pray too.

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Tel: 01689 823491
General enquiries: info@releaseinternational.org
Website address: www.releaseinternational.org

Do not shop at Tesco!

2011-11-21T16:59:00.001Z

As the Daily Mail has reported, retail giant Tesco have stopped sponsoring Cancer Research UK and switched their support to that annual display of aggression and depravity, London Gay Pride. But the Bible says: When pride cometh, then cometh shame (Prov 11:2).

: Tesco’s idea of family – sad body-building homosexuals obessessed by looks and the male anatomy

Mr Richard Littlejohnsaid: ‘If gays want to dress up as Carmen Miranda or mince up and down The Mall in nothing but their knickers, that’s fine by me. But why would Britain’s biggest supermarket want to be associated with such an event, at the expense of cancer victims?’

There are important and effective things Christians can do:

1 Pray that God will send shame and confusion into the Tesco boardroom (you can argue He has done that already). Pray that every decision they take is the wrong one, that turnover falls, that profit turns to loss, that the share price drops, that investors leave, that directors are sacked.

2 Boycott Tesco and encourage others to do the same.

3 Mount a witness with banners and/or give leaflets out to shoppers outside Tesco’s high street stores ‘Tesco Direct’ (they can throw you out of their car park, but you have every right to witness on the street).

4 Email/write to the Tesco Group Chief Executive, Philip Clark, philip.clarke@tesco.com and their Marketing Director, Richard Brasher: richard.brasher@tesco.com. You can also write to their new Chairman, Sir Richard Broadbent, at New Tesco House, Delamare Rd, Cheshunt, Herts, EN8 9SL. His email seems to be:richard.broadbent@tesco.com

Housing Crisis

2011-11-21T07:35:00.003Z

I have blogged before on the housing crisis. IMO families should be encouraged to stay together. Divorce or cohabitees slitting up adds to demands. But the BBC has listed some radical solutions. Click on the headline. I favour three of the solutions. Contain population growth - but you need to be out of the EUSSR for this. Force landlords to sell or let empty properties - and this includes local authorities. Also unoccupied commercial premises and sites should be converted to housing. Ban second homes though this does defy my libertarian instincts. I do not think the elderly should be forced to downsize but encouraging fiscally by incentives is good.

Transexuality

2011-11-20T08:06:00.002Z

In my profession I have over the years come across several men who were wanting to or had changed sex. The first was a troubled individual with mental health problems living in a fairly small community. 'She' had not had an easy life. The next was a most unconvincing would be female, male in demeanour, and a customer for home brewing supplies. Next was a good friend who first of all told me of a besetting temptation to cross dressing. Later he said this was not the whole truth, he was transexual. I reasoned with him that biology was destiny. If you had the male chromosomes the matter was closed to my mind. He persisted. It cost him wife and family, then after many years of struggle, he believes the Lord completely healed him. In none of these cases did the men become what I would call desirable females.

Now in a few months I have heard of three females who have gone to males where I work. The first I found when the name changed from female to male. The second I thought a very pleasant young man with a script for hormone injection. This is not necessarily indicative of a sex change but that is his case. I am somewhat perplexed discovering this apparent sudden flurry of transgendering in the different direction.

Paisley and Co

2011-11-19T14:26:00.002Z

Back in 1974 I was taking deputation meetings in Northern Ireland when on leave from Nigeria. In a Protestant estate of Londonderry I was able to hear Ian Paisley address a political rally. He had just marched up after leading a march in the city. Starting to speak he had a bit of a frog in his throat. Clearing it he started his speech with, "Sorry about that. I must have picked up something nasty in the Bogside". It was with a long drawn out Baaawgside. Brilliant!

A few years later, again on deputation, I had a free Sunday morning in Belfast. So I decided to try his Martyr's Memorial Free Presbyterian Church. I resisted the temptation to join the local tradition of mural painting. I would love to have done a mural of Big Ian with the caption, 'No other pope here!' But I am no artist. I did feel like smuggler though, hiding my RSV under my jacket on reading a notice saying 'AV only used here'. Inside I marvelled at all the busts of Protestant heroes. Not all were I think martyrs but my thought was that it was the papists who were supposed to have the images. Noting the hymnbook, often a good sign of theological pedigree, I reckoned IRKP owed more to his friend Bob Jones than to his Reformed Presbyterian seminary training.

But the man himself was away and a colleague preached from Daniel. The sermon was adequate except for one remark which to this day has left me with a regret. I regret I did not shout out and interrupt the preacher when he quoted, Prov. 6:16-17 'These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,' For he said, 'I think we can spiritalise " hands that shed innocent blood"'. I should have stood up and shouted,'OF ALL THE CHURCHES IN ALL THE PLACES IN THE WORLD, THIS IS WHERE YOU SHOULD NOT SPIRITUALISE, HANDS THAT SHED INNOCENT BLOOD'. I am not suggesting that Paisley supported Protestant paramilitaries but I am sure they derived much encouragement from his fiery anti-papist Unionism.

He has' I am afraid, given Presbyterianism a bad name. It is not much recognised in England. The Church of Scotland is known as C of S, not as Presbyterian. So if like me you are Presbyterian in England you are likely to be tarred from Paisley's strident brush. It would not be so bad if he really was Presbyterian. But I refuse to recognise as such a church which elected a man as moderator for life, though I believe he lost that post when he entered into a governing relationship with Adams et al. Also a church which reckons to be happy to have Baptists as elders cannot be credibly Presbyterian.

But now Paisley is retiring I for one will miss him. Who else would say when a prominent nationalist associated with the IRA was injured by Protestants, 'Those who live by the sword...'

But he is of course a Marmite man. You love him or hate him. I believe he preaches the gospel of grace though perhaps not in a way that many, especially Roman Catholics would deem to be gracious. I leave the last word to his son. 'My father's a quiet and stable man.' Ian Paisley Jnr The Times Magazine 18.1.97

Tesco funds Gay Pride but drops support for Cancer Research

2011-11-19T06:47:00.002Z

I am trying to encourage my family to stop shopping at Tesco.

'Tesco has sparked outrage after dropping its support for the Cancer Research ‘Race for Life’, and announcing shortly after that it would now become a headline sponsor of Britain’s largest gay festival.

The supermarket giant has supported Cancer Research for more than a decade, helping the charity raise hundreds of millions of pounds towards combating the illness – estimated to affect one in three of the population.

But now the retail chain has signed a deal to become a major sponsor of Pride London, and will host the festival’s family area for the second year running. The family area will provide entertainment and activities for younger children.

Criticised

Critics have hit out at Tesco’s announcement and called for a boycott of the chain.

Francis Phillips, a commentator at The Catholic Herald, criticised the move, saying: “Tesco is a supermarket.

“Its remit has been to sell good-quality food and other items at very reasonable prices, and in this it has been hugely successful.

Political

“Why has it now aligned itself with an aggressive political organisation such as Pride London?

“Why has it given up its sponsorship of Cancer Research? Or at least…why hasn’t it taken up with another mainstream charity such as the British Legion or Age UK?

“There are thousands of ex-servicemen and wounded soldiers needing help in this country, and millions of elderly people in danger of neglect.

Complaint

“They are a fundamental part of the fabric of our society – the kind of fabric that Tesco should be reflecting.”

David Skinner of Anglican Mainstream, which supports marriage and family life, has written to complain to Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke and the chain’s chief executive of retailing services, Andrew Higginson.

Mr Higginson, said: “Our ‘Out at Tesco’ team will be working closely with Pride London to ensure next year’s event is even more fun.”

World Pride

Tesco said it was discussing with Cancer Research how it could support the charity’s work in other ways and would encourage staff to continue taking part in the Race for Life.

A spokesman said the decision to drop its support “is not connected to our £30,000 sponsorship for Pride, which is one of hundreds of community and charitable events that we will be supporting next year”.

London’s annual ‘gay pride’ parade, Pride London, will be extended to two days next year when it hosts the global WorldPride 2012 festival in the summer.

British Freedom Party

2011-11-17T11:57:00.002Z

I have just come across this and so far I like what I see. Click on the title for their URL.

Irving Ball - christiansquoting.org.uk/

2011-11-17T07:45:00.001Z

The past should be a springboard not a hammock. - Irving Ball

George W. Ball - christiansquoting.org.uk/

2011-11-16T19:49:00.002Z

Nostalgia is a seductive liar. - George W. Ball (December 21, 1909 – May 26, 1994)

SUDAN – Northern troops 'bomb refugees fleeing persecution'

2011-11-15T20:19:00.000Z

The Sudanese military are accused of bombing a refugee camp in South Sudan where thousands have fled to escape violence and persecution in the north.

The Yida refugee camp in Unity state is home to some 20,000 people from the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan where northern troops are said to be targeting groups considered 'disloyal' to the northern regime, including Christians. At least 12 people were killed and 20 injured in Thursday's aerial bombardment, according to the BBC.

The Nuba people are mainly Christian – and northern President Omar al-Bashir vowed to enforce strict Sharia or Islamic law across Sudan when South Sudan became an independent nation in July.

Christians in the Yida camp told the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that Christians in South Kordofan are being targeted by northern troops. Pastors reported that their churches in South Kordofan had been burnt and looted, and some said they had seen soldiers killing Christians for being 'enemies of Islam'.

Five bombs were dropped on the Yida camp on Thursday but one, which landed in a schoolyard, failed to explode. Some 300 children were in class at the time. The northern Government denies involvement in the attack just 10 miles from the north-south border.

For more news and a country profile about Sudan, click here

NEWS UPDATE:
Pakistan Christian Ruqqiya Bibi has had her bail application adjourned yet again until the third week of December, according to Release partner Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS). Ruqqiya, from Punjab, appeared in the High Court in Lahore on Friday. Ruqqiya, who is applying for bail pending an appeal, was sentenced to 25 years for 'blasphemy' in March 2010 (Prayer Alert, October 25, 2011). Her husband, Munir, who was given the same sentence, was released on bail last December. CLAAS says it is hopeful that Ruqqiya's conviction will be overturned at the hearing next month.

(Sources: BBC, Bloomberg, CLAAS, USCIRF)

• Pray for an end to violence and persecution being inflicted on civilians in South Kordofan. Pray that politicians in both Sudan and South Sudan will stay committed to building the peace and to upholding all citizens' religious rights.
• Continue to pray for Ruqqiya Bibi and her husband, Munir. Pray that both will have their convictions overturned and that they and the CLAAS staff supporting them will be shielded from extremist violence.

Baxter on Depression

2011-11-14T14:02:00.005Z

This is from a sermon, 'The Cure of Melancholy and Overmuch Sorrow, by Faith'. Click on the blog post title for the whole sermon in which Baxter distinguishes depression which is spiritual from that whch today we would diagnose as clinical, whch will have a spiritual component, but which may require medical as well as spiritual help. Baxter, over 320 years ago did not have our wealth of medical knowledge, but his wealth of spiritual wisdom is unequalled in any age. I have copied this from a web resource but find it was originally published anonymously as 'The cure of melancholoy and overmuch-sorrow by faith and physick', sermon 11 in 'A continuation of morning-exercise Questions and cases of conscience, practically resolved by sundry ministers, in October, 1682', London, 1683.

Melancholy and the care of the soul:

religion, moral philosophy and madness

By Jeremy Schmidt

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XcD-iF6lXhMC&pg=PA230&lpg=

PA230&dq=Melancholy+and+the+care+of+the+soul:+religion,+moral+

philosophy+and+madness+...+By+Jeremy+Schmidt&source=bl&ots=

NQVBYQFyYq&sig=qqWBoGVlXnD7ySaiYqPDINaswQ4&hl=en#v=

onepage&q=Melancholy%20and%20the%20care%20of%20the%20

soul%3A%20religion%2C%20moral%20philosophy%20and%20

madness%20...%20By%20Jeremy%20Schmidt&f=false

looks to be an interesting study putting Baxter in context.

III. But if melancholy have got head already, there must be, besides what is said, some other and proper remedies used; and the difficulty is great, because the disease makes them self-conceited, unreasonable, willful, and unruly, and they will hardly be persuaded that the disease is in their bodies, but only in the souls, and will not believe but they have reason for all what they think and do; or if they confess the contrary, they plead disability, and say, We can think and do no otherwise than we do.

But supposing that there is some use of reason left, I will give them yet some further counsel; and what they cannot do, their friends must help them to their power, which I shall add.

1. Consider that it should be easy for you in your confounding, troubling thoughts, to perceive that your understandings are not now so sound and strong as other men's; and therefore be not willful and self-conceited, and think not that your thoughts are righter than theirs, but believe wiser men, and be ruled by them.

Answer me this question, Do you know any minister, or friend, that is wiser than yourself? If you say no, how foolishly proud are you? If you say yea, then ask the minister, or friend, what he thinketh of your condition, and believe him, and be ruled by him rather than by your infirm self.

2. Do you find that your troubles do you more good or hurt? Do they make you fitter or unfitter to believe and love God, and rejoice in him and praise him? If you feel that they are againstall that is good, you may be sure that they are so far from the devil's temptations, and are pleasing to him; and will you cherish or plead for the work of Satan, which you find is against yourselves and God?

3. Avoid your musings, and exercise not your thoughts now too deeply, nor too much. Long meditation is a duty to some, but not to you, no more than it is a man's duty to go to church that hath his leg broken, or his foot out of joint: he must rest and ease it till it be set again, and strengthened. You may live in the faith and fear of God, without setting yourself to deep, disturbing thoughts.

Those that will not obey this counsel, their friends must rouse them from their musings, and call them off to something else.

4. Therefore you must not be much alone, but always in some pleasing, cheerful company: solitariness doth but cherish musings.

Nor must such be long in secret prayer, but more in public prayer with others.

5. Let those thoughts which you have be laid out on the most excellent things: pore not all on yourselves, and on your distempered hearts; the best may find there much matter of trouble. As millstones wear themselves if they go when they have no corn, so do the thoughts of such as think not of better things than their own hearts. If you have any power of your own thoughts, force them to think most of these four things:

1. The infinite goodness of God, who is fuller of love than the sun is of light.

2. Of the unmeasurable love of Christ in man's redemption, and of the sufficiency of his sacrifice and merits.

3. Of the free covenant and offer of grace, which giveth pardon and life to all that do not prefer the pleasure of sin before it, and obstinately refuse it to the last.

4. Of the unconceivable glory and joy which all the blessed have with Christ, and which God hath promised with his oath and seal, to all that consent to the covenant of grace, and are willing to be saved and ruled by Christ. These thoughts will cure melancholy fears.

5. Do not yourselves often to a complaining talk, but talk most of the great mercies of God which you have received. Dare you deny them? If not, are they not worthier of your discourse than your present sufferings? Let not all men know that you are in your troubles: complaining doth but feed them, and it discourageth them to none but your secret counselors and friends. Use much to speak of the love of God, and the riches of grace, and it will divert and sweeten your sourer thoughts.

6. Especially, when you pray, resolve to spend most of your time in thanksgiving and praising God. If you cannot do it with the joy that you should, yet do it as you can. You have not the power of your comforts; but have you no power of your tongues? Say not that you are unfit for thanks and praises, unless you had a praising heart, and were the children of God; for every man, good and bad, is bound to praise God, and to be thankful for all that he hath received, and to do it as well as he can, rather than leave it undone: and most Christians are without assurance of their adoption; and must they, therefore, forbear all praise and thanksgiving to God? Doing it as you can is the way to be able to do it better. Thanksgiving stirreth up thankfulness in the heart, but by your objection you may perceive what the devil driveth at, and gets by your melancholy. He would turn you off from all thankfulness to God, and from the very mention of his love and goodness in your praises.

7. When vexatious or blasphemous thoughts are thrust into your mind by Satan, neither give them entertainment, nor yet be overmuch troubled at them: first, use that reason and power that is left you resolutely to cast them out, and turn your thoughts to somewhat else; do not say, I cannot. If you can no otherwise command and turn away your thoughts, rise up and go into some company or to some employment which will divert you, and take them up. Tell me what you would do if you heard a grumbling woman in the street reviling you, or heard an atheist there talk against God? Would you stand still to hear them, or would you talk it out again with them, or rather go from them, and disdain to hear them, or debate the case with such as they? Do you, in your case, when Satan casts in ugly, or despairing, or murmuring thoughts, go away from them to some other thoughts or business.

If you cannot do this of yourself, tell your friend when the temptation cometh; and it is his duty who hath the care of you to divert you with some other talk or words, or force you into diverting company.

Yet be not too much troubled at the temptation, for trouble of mind doth keep the evil matter in your memory, and so increase it, as pain of a sore draws the blood and spirits to the place. And this is the design of Satan, to give you troubling thoughts, and then to cause more by being troubled at those; and so, for one thought, and trouble to cause another, and that another, and so on, as waves in the sea do follow each other. To be tempted is common to the best. I told you to what idolatry Christ was tempted. When you feel such thoughts, thank God, that Satan cannot force you to love them, or consent.

8. Again, still remember what a comfortable evidence you carry about with you that your sin is not damning, while you feel that you love it not, but hate it, and are weary of it. Scarce any sort of sinners have so little pleasure in their sins as the melancholy, nor so little desire to keep them; and only beloved sins undo men.

Be sure that you live not idly, but in some constant business of a lawful calling, so far as you have bodily strength. Idleness is a constant sin, and labour is a duty. Idleness is but the devil's home for temptation, and for unprofitable, distracting musings. Labour profiteth others, and ourselves: both soul and body need it. Six days must you labour, and must not eat the bread of idleness, Prov. 31. God hath made it our duty, and will bless us in his appointed way. I have known grievous, despairing melancholy cured, and turned into a life of godly cheerfulness, principally by setting upon constancy and diligence in the business of families and callings. It turns the thoughts from temptations, and leaveth the devil no opportunity: it pleaseth God if done in obedience, and it purifieth the distempered blood. Though thousands of poor people that live in penury, and have wives and children that must also feel it, one would think should be distracted with griefs and cares, yet few of them fall into the disease of melancholy, because labour keepeth the body sound, and leaveth them no leisure for melancholy musings: whereas, in London, and great towns, abundance of women that never sweat with bodily work, but live in idleness, especially when from fullness they fall into poverty, are miserable objects, continually vexed, and near distraction with discontent and a restless mind.

If you will not be persuaded to business, your friends, if they can, should force you to it.

And if the devil turn religious as an angel of light, and tell you that this is but turning away your thoughts from God, and that worldly thoughts and business are unholy, and fit for worldly men; tell him that Adam was in innocency to dress and keep his garden, and Noah that had all the world was to be husbandman, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob kept sheep and cattle, and Paul was a tent-maker, and Christ himself is justly supposed to have worked at his supposed father's trade, as he went on fishing with his disciples. And Paul saith, idleness is disorderly walking, and he that will not work let him not eat. God made soul and body, and hath commanded work to both.

And if Satan would drive you unseasonably upon longer secret prayer than you can bear, remember that even sickness will excuse the sick from that sort of duty which they are unable for, and so will your disease; and the unutterable groans of the spirit are accepted.

If you have privacy out of hearing, I would give you this advice, that instead of long meditation, or long secret prayer, you will sing a psalm of praise to God, such as the twenty-third, or the one hundred and thirty-third, &c. This will excite your spirit to that sort of holy affection which is much more acceptable to God, and suitable to the hopes of a believer, than your repining troubles are.

Duties of Friends and Relatives of the Depressed

IV. But yet I have not done with the duty of those that take care of distressed, melancholy persons, especially husbands to their wives, (for it is much more frequently the disease of women than of men,) when the disease disableth them to help themselves, the most of their helps, under God, must be from others; and this is of two sorts: 1. In prudent carriage to them; 2. In medicine and diet; a little of both.

1. A great part of their cure lieth in pleasing them, and avoiding all displeasing things, as far as lawfully can be done. Displeasedness is much of the disease; and a husband that hath such a wife is obliged to do his best to cure her, both in charity, and by his relative bond, and for his own peace. It is a great weakness in some men, that if they have wives, who by natural passionate weakness, or by melancholy or infirmity, are willful and will not yield to reason, they show their anger at them to their further provocation. You took her in marriage for better and for worse, for sickness and health. If you have chosen one that, as a child, must have every thing that she crieth for, and must be spoken fair, and as it was rocked in the cradle, or else it will be worse, you must condescend to do it, and so bear the burden which you have chosen, as may not make it heavier to you. Your passion and sourness towards a person that cannot cure her own unpleasing carriage, is a more unexcusable fault and folly than hers, who hath not the power of reason as you have.

If you know any lawful thing that will please them in speech, in company, in apparel, in rooms, in attendance, give it them: if you know at what they are displeased, remove it. I speak not of the distracted, that must be mastered by force, but of the sad and melancholy: could you devise how to put them in a pleased condition you might cure them.

2. As much as you can, divert them from the thoughts which are their trouble; keep them on some other talks and business; break in upon them, and interrupt their musings; rouse them out of it, but with loving importunity; suffer them not to be long alone; get fit company to them, or them to it; especially, suffer them not to be idle, but drive or draw them to some pleasing works which may stir the body, and employ the thoughts. If they are addicted to reading, let it not be too long, nor any books that are unfit for them; and rather let another read to them than themselves. Dr. Sibbes's books, and some useful, pleasing history or chronicles, or news of great matters abroad in the world, may do somewhat to divert them.

3. Often set before them the great truths of the gospel which are fittest to comfort them; and read them informing, comforting books; and live in a loving, cheerful manner with them.

4. Choose for them a skillful, prudent minister of Christ, both for their secret counsel and public audience; one that is skilled in such cases, and one that is peaceable, and not contentious, erroneous, or fond of odd opinions; one that is rather judicious in his preaching and praying than passionate, except when he urgeth the gospel doctrines of consolation, and then the more fervently the better; and one that they much esteem and reverence, and will regardfully hear.

5. Labour to convince them frequently how great a wrong it is to the God of infinite love and mercy, and to a Saviour who hath so wonderfully expressed his love, to think hardlier of him than they would do of a friend, yea, or of a moderate enemy; and so hardly to be persuaded of that love which hath been manifested by the most stupendous miracle. Had they but a father, husband, or friend, that had ventured his life for them, and given them all that ever they had, were it not a shameful ingratitude and injury to suspect still that they intended all against them, and designed mischief to them, and did not love them? How hath God and our Saviour deserved this? And many that say it is not God that they suspect, but themselves, do but hide their misery this mistake, while they deny God's greatest mercies; and though they would fain have Christ and grace, will not believe that God who offereth it them will give it them, but think he is one that will remedilessly damn a poor soul that desireth to please him, and had rather have his grace than all the sinful pleasures of the world.

6. Carry them oft abroad into strange company. Usually they reverence strangers, and strange faces do divert them, especially traveling into other parts, if they can hear the motion.

7. It is a useful way, if you can, to engage them in comforting others that are deeper in distresses than they; for this will tell them that their case is not singular, and they will speak to themselves while they speak to others. One of the chief means which cured my fears of my soul's condition, about forty-eight years ago, was oft comforting others that had the same doubts, whose lives persuaded me of their sincerity.

And it would be a pretty diversion to send to them some person that is in some error, which they are most against, to dispute it with them, that, while they whet their wits to convince them, and confute them, it may turn their thoughts from their own distress. Forester tells us that a melancholy patient of his, who was a papist, was cured when the Reformation came into the country, by eager and oft disputing against it. A better cause may better do it.

And I thought Canada was the most PC country

2011-11-14T12:51:00.001Z

A female Canadian libertarian wrote a lot of letters to the government, complaining about the treatment of captive insurgents (terrorists) being held in Afghanistan National Correctional System facilities.

She received the following reply:

National Defence Headquarters

MGen George R. Pearkes Bldg, 15 NT

101 Colonel By Drive

Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2

Canada

Dear Concerned Citizen,

Thank you for your recent letter expressing your profound concern of treatment of the Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists captured by Canadian Forces - who were subsequently transferred to the Afghanistan Government and are currently being held by Afghan officials in Afghanistan National Correctional System facilities.

Our administration takes these matters seriously and your opinions were heard loud and clear here in Ottawa .

You will be pleased to learn, thanks to the concerns of citizens like yourself; we are creating a new Department here at the Department of National Defence, to be called 'Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers' program, or L.A.R.K. For short.

In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided to divert one terrorist and place him in your personal care.

Your personal detainee has been selected and is scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence in Toronto next Monday.

Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud (you can just call him Ahmed) is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in your letter of complaint.

It will likely be necessary for you to hire some assistant caretakers. We will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with those you so strongly recommend in your letter.

Although Ahmed is a sociopath and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his "attitudinal problem " will help him overcome these character flaws.

Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences.

We understand that you plan to offer counselling and home schooling.

Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers.

We advise that you do not ask him to demonstrate these skills at your next yoga group.

He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless (in your opinion) this might offend him.

Ahmed will not wish to interact with you or your daughters (except sexually) since he views females as a subhuman form of property.

This is a particularly sensitive subject for him and he has been known to show violent tendencies around women who fail to comply with the new dress code that he will recommend as more appropriate attire.

I'm sure you will come to enjoy the anonymity offered by the burka over time. Just remember that it is all part of 'respecting his culture and religious beliefs' as described in your letter.

Thanks again for your concern. We truly appreciate it when folks like you keep us informed of the proper way to do our job and care for our fellow man.

You take good care of Ahmed - and remember we'll be watching.

Good luck and God bless you.

Cordially,

Gordon O'Connor

Minister of National Defense

A. J. Balfour (1848-1930) - christiansquoting.org.uk/

2011-11-14T07:50:00.003Z

He has only half learned the art of reading who has not added to it the even more refined accomplishments of skipping and skimming.- A. J. Balfour (1848-1930)

It is unfortunate, considering that enthusiasm moves the world, that so few enthusiasts can be entrusted to speak the truth. ~ Arthur James Balfour.

The motor-car will help solve the congestion of traffic.-A. J. Balfour, c.1910

His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed in any other country.-Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour writes to Baron Rothschild, 2 November 1917

skimming. Arthur	-
		I thought he was a young man of promise; but it appears he was a young man of promises.- Arthur Balfour
		I do not know how it comes about, but if you sit opposite a man every day and you are engaged in fighting him, you cannot help getting a liking for him whether he deserves it or not.- Arthur Balfour

Stanley Baldwin - christiansquoting.org.uk/

2011-11-13T21:40:00.003Z

What the proprietorship of these newspapers is aiming at is power, and power without responsibility - the prerogative of the harlot through the ages.-- Stanley Baldwin 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 – 14 December 1947)

I am one of those who would rather sink with faith than swim without it.-Stanley Baldwin

The bomber will always get through. The only defense is in offense, which means that you have to kill more women and children more quickly that the enemy if you want to save yourselves.-Stanley Baldwin

James Baldwin (1924-1987)) - christiansquoting.org.uk/

2011-11-12T06:57:00.004Z

Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. James Baldwin

People pay for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it very simply; by the lives they lead.-James Baldwin (1924-1987)

It is a great shock at the age of five or six to find that in a world of Gary Coopers you are the Indian. -James Baldwin (1924-1987), speech, Feb. 17, 1965, Cambridge Union, Cambridge University, England. New YorkTimes Magazine (Mar. 7, 1965).)

		An identity would seem to be arrived at by the way in which the person faces and uses his experience. -James Baldwin (1924-1987), "No Name in the Street," The Price Of The Ticket (1972, repr. 1985).)

NIGERIA: Bloodshed as northern militants launch a series of attacks

2011-11-11T20:50:00.000Z

10/11/2011

Nigeria has seen further outbreaks of religion-related violence in the past week. Meanwhile, CSW prepares for Archbishop Ben Kwashi’s speech on the current situation in Northern Nigeria at its forthcoming conference.

Christian prayer meeting raided

Last week, local youths blocked roads returned briefly to Tabak Village in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State, in protest at an armed raid on a prayer meeting that left two people dead.

The attack on St Joseph’s Catholic Church occurred at around 11.45pm on Thursday 3 November. According to eyewitnesses, gunmen raided the church as a prayer meeting was ending, fired at a congregation consisting mainly of women and children, and escaped into the bush. Two women died at the scene. Twelve other people were wounded mainly in the arms and legs,two of whom died on the following day.

The raid took place near the town of Zonkwa, an area visited by CSW recently as part of a fact-finding visit to gather testimonies of those affected by post-election violence. The following evening an armed raid on a house in Kurmin Bi Village, also near Zonkwa, left one man dead. The area is currently reported to be tense, with locals receiving telephone calls threatening further violence.

Kaduna State government urged to act decisively

In a statement issued on behalf of the Kaduna State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the organisation’s secretary, the Reverend Yunusa Nmadu, unequivocally condemned the armed attack “on innocent Christian worshipers in the church”, and expressed anxiety that the raid had occurred “in spite of the heavy presence of soldiers in the area”. The statement concluded with a call to the Government of Kaduna State “to ensure that the perpetrators of this evil act are fished out and brought to book. Meanwhile we call on all Christians to be calm and prayerful in the face of this new dimension of attack on the Church”.

Islamist extremists stage further coordinated attacks

On 5 October, it became clear that over 100 people had died when the Islamist extremist militia Boko Haram launched coordinated overnight attacks in the Borno State capital of Maiduguri, and in the towns of Damaturu and Potiskum in Yobe State. In Damaturu, the militia destroyed a local police station, killing around eleven police officers, and moved on to the Jerusalem suburb, an area predominantly occupied by Christians, where they had destroyed ten churches and several Christian-owned properties and businesses. Two people were killed during the attack in nearby Potiskum.

On Sunday 6 October, many Christians overcame fear to worship under trees or in the open air near their destroyed churches buildings.

Security officials and pastor targeted in Maiduguri

In Maiduguri, around four bombs exploded in different locations, and three suicide bombers drove a four-wheel drive into the local headquarters of the Joint Task Force, damaging the outer wall of the compound and injuring an unspecified number of soldiers. Boko Haram members also broke into the home of a pastor from Deeper Life Church in the Railway suburb of Maiduguri, and shot him and two visitors dead.

In a statement issued to the press, Boko Haram threatened to continue the violence.

Commenting on the violence, a source in Maiduguri told CSW, “let us just be praying. That is our only hope. Because in the midst of all of this our God is still sovereign. There is nothing He cannot do. It is beyond human help. It is a time for Him to act.”

Thankful villages

2011-11-11T19:58:00.002Z

Click on the title for the BBC article which brought tears to my eyes. I knew there were thankful villages with several in my home county of Yorkshire. I did not know that two were close to my home there. 52 such communities from WWI and only 14 doubly thankful after WWII.

Contrast, 'Wadhurst, East Sussex - a place of just over 3,500 people which lost 649 men in WWI, ... on a single day in 1915 at the Battle of Aubers, 25 men from Wadhurst were killed - just under 80% of all those who went forward into no-man's land, and almost certainly the heaviest per capita casualties of any community in the UK for one day's battle. The majority of the fallen had no known grave.

“Start Quote

Of about 700 "pals" from Accrington, Lancashire who participated in the Somme offensive, some 235 were killed and 350 wounded within just 20 minutes. By the end of the first hour, 1,700 men from Bradford were dead or injured. Some 93 of the approximately 175 Chorley men who went over the top at the same time died.'....

'Catwick, E. Yorks.Though it never had a war memorial, the windswept village had a commemoration of its own. At the outset of WWI, the village blacksmith, John Hugill, nailed a lucky horseshoe to the door of his forge. Around it, for each man who went to the war, he nailed a coin. When WWII broke out, he did the same again.

As Catwick was to prove doubly thankful, it was a remarkable monument. And yet when Hugill's workshop closed, the coins and the horseshoe were taken away from the door.

All were fixed to a board and eventually passed onto Hugill's grandson, now 60 and also called John Hugill, who still lives in Catwick, where he runs an engineering firm.

He has vowed never to let the memento leave the village and hopes to find a way to put it on public display. Hugill was too young to know his grandfather, while his father - who served as a Sergeant-at-Arms in the Home Guard during WWII - was reluctant to speak about his wartime experiences.

"All they wanted to do was forget it," Hugill says.

"When they're gone, you think, 'Why didn't we talk to each other about it?' But there was a big age gap - there'd been such a huge change in culture."

Christians killed and churches bombed amid Islamist violence in Nigeria

2011-11-10T12:39:00.000Z

Two worshippers were killed and at least 12 injured in an armed raid on a church, and at least six other churches were bombed during a spate of widespread attacks by Islamist militants in Northern Nigeria that left around 150 people dead.

A church in Tabak village, Kaduna State, was targeted during a prayer meeting on Thursday evening (3 November). As the meeting was drawing to a close, gunmen burst into the building and fired at the congregation, which consisted mainly of women and children. Two women died at the scene, while at least twelve other people were wounded; some were said to be in a critical condition.

Christians are frequently
victims of violence in Nigeria

The Reverend Yunusa Nmadu, secretary of the Kaduna State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, condemned the armed attack “on innocent Christian worshippers in the church” and expressed concern that the incident had happened “in spite of the heavy presence of soldiers in the area”.

The following day, two other Northern states were rocked by a series of deadly bomb and gun attacks for which the militant Islamist group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility. A rescue agency official said that the death toll stood at 150.

The militants mainly targeted the security forces, hitting police stations and an army base in Yobe and Borno states. Churches were also attacked; six were bombed in a mainly Christian neighbourhood of Damaturu called Jerusalem in Yobe state. One minister whose church was burnt down said gangs of young men were roaming the streets throwing improvised bombs into church buildings.

Boko Haram, which is fighting to establish an Islamic state in the North, has carried out a number of major strikes this year; more than 240 people have died in the group’s violent campaign. Their spiritual leader, Abubakar Shekau, has urged followers to carry out more assassinations and bombings, saying:

Whomever we kill, we kill because Allah says we should kill and we kill for a reason.

Tensions have been particularly high in Northern Nigeria since April when Muslims went on the rampage in protest against the re-election of Christian President Goodluck Jonathan. They unleashed their rage against Christian targets among others; scores of churches were destroyed, hundreds of people killed and tens of thousands displaced during the violence.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, said:

Islamists have once again wreaked havoc in Nigeria, leaving a trail of devastation and destroyed lives. Amid this ongoing carnage, our brothers and sisters continue to suffer. We must pray earnestly for peace in that troubled land and be ready to help meet the practical needs of Christians who have been affected by the violence.

Please Pray

That there will be peace in Nigeria, and that the authorities will be able to restrain Boko Haram’s terrorist activities.
For all those people who have lost loved ones or been injured in the latest attacks.
That the Lord will give Nigerian Christians the strength to stand firm in their faith amid unrelenting attacks.

Christina Baldwin - christiansquoting.org.uk/

2011-11-10T07:05:00.001Z

Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix. - Christina Baldwin

Call for action after deadly attacks on Nigerian Christians

2011-11-09T19:42:00.001Z

Posted: Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 9:59 (GMT)

Boko Haram want to establish strict Sharia law across Nigeria AP

Authorities in Nigeria have been accused of failing to protect the people following deadly violence at the weekend.

At least 100 people are reported to have been killed in attacks by militant Islamist group Boko Haram on the towns of Damaturu, Maiduguri and Patiskum in the north of the country. At least nine churches were attacked in Damaturu.

Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri told Aid to the Church in Need that the government in north-east Nigeria had “let the people down” by failing to prevent the attacks and protect people.

He said priests had been forced to run for their lives as militants attacked St Mary’s Catholic Church.

“The church was completely burnt to ashes,” he said. “It was one of the biggest churches in the diocese.”

Bishop Doeme said politicians in the area were using Islamist groups for their own interests.

“Religion is a very sensitive issue and the politicians can whip up hatred and suspicion very easily,” he said.

He appealed to the Nigerian government to shore up security, saying that it would require a “concerted effort” to restore law and order.

“If security had come earlier, this wouldn’t have happened. The police have let the people down.”

According to Human Rights Watch, last weekend’s attacks saw the highest number of deaths in a single day since Boko Haram began its campaign of violence in Nigeria in July 2009.

Andy Dipper, Chief Executive of Release International, fears Christians will continue to be “prime targets” of Boko Haram as it seeks to impose strict Islamic law in Nigeria.

“Boko Haram seems to be bent on destabilising the nation to pave the way for an Islamist state – and at the forefront of their attacks are churches,” he said.

Although police stations and government buildings were attacked, Dipper said churches accounted for more of the targets.

He said militants were trying to drive out non-Muslims from the area and would not stop until the “harshest” form of Islamic law had been established in Nigeria.

“The government must take effective action to prevent religious cleansing and to safeguard the Christian community,” he said.

Barnabas Fund has launched an appeal to provide practical support to Christians displaced by the violence and congregations that have lost their churches.

The International Director of Barnabas Fund, Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, urged Christians to pray for the situation.

“Islamists have once again wreaked havoc in Nigeria, leaving a trail of devastation and destroyed lives,” he said.

“Amid this ongoing carnage, our brothers and sisters continue to suffer.

“We must pray earnestly for peace in that troubled land and be ready to help meet the practical needs of Christians who have been affected by the violence.”

Human Rights Watch has condemned the violence as an “indefensible attack on human life”. It is calling upon the authorities to act swiftly in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Books read in November 2011

2011-11-08T19:39:00.007Z

1. Romans: Momentous News by David Cook

50 short studies suitable for personal devotions or group study. Sound and clear interpretation. Highly recommended to get to grips with the most important epistle.

2.Between Naivety and Hostility: How Should Christians Respond to Islam in Britain? by Steve Bell and Colin Chapman

Nineteen contributors write on how Christians in the UK should relate to Muslims today, but only two of them are converts from Islam and neither of them I believe of British origin. This I think is one of the few weaknesses in a most helpful, informative and challenging volume. My experience is that converts from Islam are often the more negative in their approach to Islam. The regrettable absence of an index prevents me from seeing how many times a more critical approach, like that of convert Patrick Sookhdeo is referenced. I also missed any reference to those promoting Meetings for Mutual Understanding.

The first chapter is on Approaching Muslims with Grace and Truth. The book ends with a final statement of ten ways to do this as an appropriate response to Muslims. The first section, Assumptions and Starting Points gives some theological and historical perspectives but does not deal with some of the big, relevant issues like are we talking about the same God or where did Muhammad's message originate. The second section, Crucial Issues in Britain Today examines the diversity of Muslim communities, conversion to and from Islam, apostasy, persecution of converts to Christianity, human right, education and women. I found the chapter on Islamic Courts and the British Legal System very informative but found no mention of the inequity of witnesses before Shari'a courts.

The chapters on Models of Positive relationships give practical examples of how Christians are and should be taking action. I am pleased to see the polemic approach of Jay Smith stated as well as that of a softer dialogue approach. The chapter on Taqiyya, dissimulation I found disappointing from a Christian perspective as it really failed to deal adequately with the Roman Catholic equivocation doctrine and the diversity of approach among Protestants, some of whom will say Rahab told a lie to the glory of God. Surely when one witnesses to Muslims or non-Muslims it is only by personal contact can one tell if they are people of truth.

This book should encourage and help Christians in befriending Muslims. It should promote personal dialogue, witness and polemic. On the corporate level it should encourage churches to relate to local mosques, seek opportunities to promote co-operation and social cohesion. It should also encourage churches to show real practical support to converts from Islam. Until Churches show they are real communities of care and support they have little to offer by way of real challenge to their neighbouring Muslim umma.

The jury is out on whether the authors downplaying of the demographic and political threat from Islam is the realistic one. I also wonder if there is not a place for a consideration of possible co-belligerence with some Muslims against the common secularist enemy. I think also that looking at the manifestations of Islam in the UK where it is a minority faith, one has a very different impression from that seen in countries where it dominates.

3. Wise Counsel: John Newton's Letters to John Ryland, Jr. edied by Grant Gordon

83 letters, many never before published, written over 31 years by Anglican clergyman Newton to John Ryland Jnr., a Baptist 28 years younger than Newton. Ryland was a child prodigy, fluent in Greek aged 8 and destined to be principal of the Bristol Baptist College. Newton, now famed as hymn writer was the letter writer of genius in the 18th century Evangelical revival. The catholic spirit of Newton was remarkable in an age when Establishment generally despised Dissent. In an age of bitter theological controversies Newton was a peacemaker counselling avoidance of unhelpful disputation. His letters to Ryland are practical and deeply spiritual. To a young man there is counsel on decision making, courtship, charity, pastoral calls, bereavement and more. Newton even tells the young widower and parent, Ryland, to look for another wife with sentiments unromantic and practical like those counselled by Samuel Johnson.

These letters cover dramatic times in world and church history. We go through American and French Revolutions, the slave trade and abolition. We read of the founding of missions, BMS,LMS and CMS. We read of the baptism of 'a poor journeyman shoemaker' by Ryland to his description by Newton as an Apostle. There is much also on missions to Sierra Leone.

Newton comes across as a very remarkable man. He was an evangelical par excellence not caring about denominational labels but only whether someone loved the Lord. He was open about his own sins, even the unusually confessed one of idolising his spouse. He had a remarkable warmth of character in a formal age. His servants were treated more like family. Ryland often instructed Newton to burn his letters. Thankfully Ryland kept Newton's.

Grant Gordon has produced a great piece of well researched work with very helpful annotations. The only thing I missed was an account of how the postage system operated before the 1840 Penny Post. This is a heart warming historic read. You can feel Newton growing old, enduring trials but triumphing by faith. Grace brought him safely home.

4. Collecting Cobwebs, Gathering Brambles: Poems, Rhymes and Light Verse by Elizabeth A. Leaper (Author, Illustrator), Jack Williamson (Author)

Reviewing the poetry of family members is probably territory where angels fear to tread. Jack was a quiet bachelor whose poetry reflects his life long residence in Wilmslow, the old town of Cheshire, not the posh place beloved of the rich from Manchester. A man whose poetry shows his love of home and family and a time now past. Like Elizabeth I wish he had not been so reticent about his talent with words. Elizabeth shares it too with reflections on what is seen in a more modern world and countryside. I am no expert on poetry but there is stimulation for reflection and smiles here.

5.The Finkler Question - Howard Jacobson

Prize winning and allegedly funny. Not to me. I confess I am not a fan of modern novels by Western authors but I heard this was a funny one so I read it. Unlike some reviewers I persevered to the end but it was at times hard going. Funny it is not. It should be called the Jewish question as that is what it is all about but that would hardly sell the book as a novel.It is all about two Jews and a man who aspires to be one. It seems full of Jewish angst in a way that I am sure no g can fathom, a bit like when one character lambastes a sympathetic gentile woman who is taking his side in denouncing Zionism for she as a Gentile has no right to do so. I wonder it his is how the author feels about his reviewers. I searched in vain for an appreciative Jewish reviewer.Of his two main Jewish characters one seems liberal and as much Czech as Jewish. He seems a decent old man but ends his own life. The other is British born, rejecting all things Jewish, even Zionism. He is a popular philosopher, an adulterer and gambler, a totally unattractive character except in devotion to his children. His Gentile friend is promiscuous, obsessed with matters Jewish. He has two adult sons with whom he has little contact, sleeps with his friend's wife, thinks he has been mugged by a woman who has mistaken him for a Jew. He is even more mixed up than any Jew in the book. It would have been so refreshing to meet an upright orthodox believer. Instead we have a rag tag collection of anti-Zionists ASHamed to be Jews. There is ugly antisemitism in the book. Reading one wonders how the Jews have managed to survive. Perhaps it is to do with the God who seems absent from this novel. This seems to be a book about obsessions, Jewishness, Zionism, sex, circumcision, even the BBC. Perhaps one might have understood a little better if there had been a glossary of Yiddish/Hebrew words. Not recommended.

6.The Litigators by John Grisham

Grisham is on form again. I have read all his fiction and though I prefer him in the deep South, here he is at his urban best. A disreputable two partner firm of ambulance chasers is joined by a smart Harvard graduate who has run away from a career in international bond law at a prestigious firm. Grisham has no love for big business, legal or pharmaceutical. Both are portrayed as ruthless and venal. Not all big business is castigated. The happy ending comes via a case involving a large toy company. David, the hero lawyer is a bit of a fairy tale good character but he gives you the good vibes, unlike the two men he works with, one in an unhappy marriage and one an alcoholic. Once again it is a gripping page turner.